After years of floating the Shoshone River as it flows through Park County and gathering a diverse range of garbage, from appliances to furnishings, tires and trampolines, volunteers with the East Yellowstone Chapter of Trout Unlimited decided to take a year off.

It was perfect weather Saturday and there were plenty of volunteers to paddle the iconic Blue-Ribbon fishery, but it's no longer needed to do it every year. It's simple; the organization has gathered to clean the waterway between the Cody and Powell so often, it's just no longer needed on a yearly basis.

However, there was still a need to freshen fishing access points. Abandoned fishing line and bait containers by inconsiderate souls can easily be found along the banks of the river. And, due to isolated locations of fishing access, litter from youthful parties often scar public land with broken glass and aluminum cans and bags of garbage dumped by folks seemingly absent of community pride.

After meeting at the Belfry Bridge in Cody — which was scoured for litter earlier in the week — teams of volunteers headed to every single fishing access area from the North Fork to the Willwood River Access Area south of Powell carrying industrial-strength trash bags intending to give the habitat a makeover.

Not all of the volunteers at the event were Trout Unlimited members. Others, including Janay Brun, saw a "story in the paper" calling on volunteers and decided they had a time to generously give to the region's unforgettable landscape.

"I love the river. I thought I'd come and help clean it up," she said with glee.

As Brun and Bob Mazick walked the Paul Stock Nature Trail looking for litter with their bright orange bags in tow, they were astonished by the tidiness of the trail. There weren't even dog droppings under foot.

They continued down to the water's edge, where they met chapter treasurer and former veterinarian Bob Brown to police the popular fishing area. The trio could have carried used grocery store bags for the amount of garbage they were able to find.

"It's very encouraging," Brun said while enjoying the perfect day.

Yet, the outing was bittersweet for chapter members. Two winter deaths shocked the organization.

Brown took over the treasurer position after chapter members were caught off-guard by the death of former treasurer Jeff Theisen. He was only a member for four or five years, Brown said, but quickly joined the leadership team. He was able to speedily straighten out the books and find productive investments for chapter proceeds.

"He was a bad fisherman, but a real good friend," Brown said.

Former Cody oncologist Dr. Tom Anderson, who died a week before Theisen, wasn't as physically active in the past few years, but he was always there to offer a helping hand in any way he could.

"He was experiencing health issues late in his life, so he came just to bring donuts and lunch to support us," said Larry Timchak, Trout Unlimited chapter secretary. "He gave a donation to our chapter every month. He was very generous with both his time and his resources. He was a great member and we miss him dearly."

In his profession, Anderson fulfilled his mission to bring advanced cancer care to the region. At the same time, he was always the friendly face of conservation in the region, rarely missing an opportunity to learn about wildlife and conservation strategies.

Upcoming events

The chapter has a special guest speaker scheduled for 6 p.m. Tuesday, April 14, at the Wyoming Game and Fish Department Cody Region office. Lindsay Szofran, a fly fishing guide and World Fly Fishing Championship competitor from Red Lodge, will give a special presentation.

Szofran's knowledge and experience of fly fishing has placed her on the United States Women’s Fly Fishing Team, a nonprofit focused on creating pathways for women in competitive angling. She competed in the first ever Women’s World Fly Fishing Championship and received a Team Bronze Medal in 2023. She finished in 17th place in the 2025 individual world championships, the fourth year of the event.

Also, the Bighorn Basin Fly Fishing Fair is scheduled from 8 a.m. to noon at the Cody Region office on May 9.